The Girl Next Door
by Remember the BadWolf
Summary: 'The day John Smith met Clara Oswin Oswald is both the happiest and the saddest day of his life' Clara Oswald was staying with her cousin, The Daleks, when she meets the Doctor. On the day before she leaves, he takes her on an adventure, that ends in disaster. The next time they meet, the doctor had lost everything. Then an accident happens. The Doctor refuses to lose Clara too. AU
1. Chapter 1

**AN- This is a Whouffle AU. I'm not too sure where I'm going with it, but I hope you like it.**

**NOTE- the Doctor is human and a completely normal kid. There will be no aliens.**

**John "The Doctor" is 16**

**Amy and Rory are also 16**

**River is 15**

**and Clara is 15**

* * *

_The day John Smith met Clara Oswin Oswald, was both the happiest and the saddest day in his life._

The Doctor stood outside of his house patently. He listened to the crickets chirp, and watched the glowing lightning bugs fly off into the night. All the lights were out in his neighborhood, everyone was stone dead asleep. Everyone but two.

Earlier that day, he had met Clara, a kind, beautiful girl. She had a warm smile, chestnut hair, and large doe eyes. She explained that she was staying with her cousins while her father was on a business trip.

He wasn't sure why, maybe it was the sad, lonely look in her eyes, it he had decided to show Clara a good time. The Doctor explained to her to met him outside his house at midnight, then the fun would begin.

At first it seemed like a good idea, but the closer it became to midnight the more anxious he became. The Doctor wasn't sure why though. He didn't like her like that. He couldn't. The Doctor was in a happy relationship with his girlfriend River.

Ten minutes before the clock struck twelve, The Doctor pulled out his cellphone and called his best mate.

It only rung twice before a groggy Scottish voice answered.

"Hello?" Amelia Pond asked. A smile crossed The Doctor's lips. Amy never liked to be awakened, he knew she would kill him. Well, she would, if she wasn't in New York.

"Amelia Pond, how is America?" The floppy hair boy joked with is friend. He knew, absolutely, without a doubt, she loved it there. Her boyfriend, and The Doctor's good mate, Rory, had spend nearly two years to save the money to fly them both to New York to see a broadway show. Amy had talked about wanting to see one ever since she was seven, the same age she was when she moved across the street from The Doctor.

"Amazing," she squealed. He could almost hear her jumping with joy. "The show starts in a hour, and I'm trying to stay awake with theses stupid time differences." She paused.

"Hold on? It's midnight back home, why are you calling me?" Amy wasn't scared, but curious. The Doctor sighed, he wasn't exactly sure what to tell her, after all, he was dating her step-sister. And although he knew he did not fancy Clara, it still didn't explain why he was so nervous.

"Oi, Doctor, I'm your best friend, you can tell me anything," the Scot insisted over the phone.

"Do you remember that Oswin girl?" He asked.

"You mean the girl that hacked onto the police department building?" Amy asked. The Doctor smiled at the memory.

_Amy, Rory, and himself were on their way back from a movie when they notice the sound of sirens coming from their neighborhood._

_Curiosity had gotten them better of them and they ran to see the police outside of their neighbors house._

_The Doctor scoffed. Of course it would be them, he thought to himself. Amy had asked one of their neighbors what had happened. They had explained that, 'Oswin had hacked the police'._

_Just as he had said that, everyone had heard a loud high pitched voice yell, "I don't wasn't you I wasn't Mum"._

_The three friend had watched as a brown haired girl ran from the house and didn't look like she ever wanted to stop. The friend never saw her face though, only heard her voice. And what a sad voice it was._

"Yup," The Doctor answered.

"What about her?" She asked in a subjective tone.

"We'll she was new to the neighborhood and is leaving in the morning," he pause, "and well... I wanted to she her a fun time." He stated innocently.

"John Smith, are you cheating on my baby sister, and with some who is related to a Dalek" Her angry voice yelled in his ear.

The Dalek's were not only The Doctor's neighbors, but his worse enemies. Ever since there were kids the four boys in the Dalek family, Thay, Jast, Caan, and Sec, had made it their life goals to make his life a living hell. At times, they succeeded. The boys were no better then their single father, Davros. An old cruel man who wanted his sons to do his ever bidding, and they did. The Doctor hated every single stinken' Dalek on the face of the Earth.

As for River, The Doctor could never cheat on River, he lo-CARED! Cared about her too much to ever cheat.

"No!" He had yelled back, "I don't like her like THAT" he insisted. Her heard Amy talk to someone else over the phone and she yelled back at him, "Oi, we'll talk about this later, right now me and Rory had to go see the play, The Last Centurion"

"See you then, Pond" The Doctor replied smiling. Amelia Pond could always find a way to make him smile, even when he was feeling that nervous. He hung up his phone and placed it back in his pocket.

A few more minutes passed, Clara was no were in sight. She probably forgot. This was a bad idea anyway.

The Doctor turned around to walk back into his house when he hear the melodic sound of her voice.

"Oi, Chin Boy, I thought we had a date?" She teased. The Doctor turned around. He had a large boyish grin on his face, but then he realized what she said.

Clara Oswald wore a knee length, dark blue dress, which was cover with small red roses. She had black tights on under her dress, and black boots. Completed with her brown leather jacket and bright red purse, her whole outfit screamed 'Ready for an adventure'.

"What, no. Not a date at all. Just us two friends," Clara giggled when she saw him blush, "shut up" he said after straitening his bow tie.

"Down boy, I was only joking" she insisted with a smile, "so, John, where are we going?" She asked trying to hide her excitement. The truth was, she was nervous.

"Don't call me John, no one does," he said. When 'John' rolled off his tongue, he scrunched his face like he had eaten something sour. The Doctor hated the name 'John Smith', it was so common, too common, the thing The Doctor was everything but.

"What should I call you then?" She asked confused. The Doctor smiled at the pouting face Clara made when she was confused.

"I'm the Doctor. Well, they call me the Doctor; I don't know why. I call me the Doctor, too. I still don't know why." He rambled to Clara. Before She could ask another question, 'The Doctor' was already walking away.

"Everywhere in the neighborhood, where do you want to start?" He asked, but kept walking away.

"I don't know" She yelled as she ran to catch up with him.

"Of course you don't, you have only been here a week and are leaving in the morning." The Doctor stated as Clara caught up to him. "So I'm choosing where we go," he explained. Without another word he took her hand and started running. At first, Clara was shocked not sure what to do other them be half dragged, but then she started to run with him. A genuine smile was plastered on her face, for the first time in a long time.

* * *

The Doctor had taken them to Dorium Maldovar's house, which was only a block away. He ran to the side of the house, only to be greeted by a fence. At first Clara was sure he was going to turn around, but much to her shock, he did the opposite. The Doctor climbed on top of Dorium's trash bins, and, using his long giraffe like legs, climbed over the fence. He jumped down and disappeared behind the gate.

"Doctor?" She asked, "it's a good plan and all, but how am a supposed to get over?" She yelled to him. She waited a moment before the fences gate swing open.

"You just take the door," he replied as if it was the simplest answer in the world. A grin returned to Clara's face as she walked into the back yard.

Instantly, she was shocked by the crystal clear, blue watered pool in the middle of the yard. It was gigantic, and she saw a little steam come off of the water. Her eyes grew wide as she got closer.

The Doctor, rather then sharing Clara's amazement, hurried to something right next to the pool. I was a telescope. An expensive one at that.

"Over here, Oswin" he called. She turned and glared at him. She had already told him she hated being called that. She told him that, only hours ago.

_It was her uncil Davros' idea for the boys to take her on a bike ride, probably because he wanted us out of the house, she guessed._

_Jast and Thay were pedaling as fast as they could, almost in a silence race, while Sec and Caan were staring back and forth at each other. Both had mischief gleaming in their eyes._

_Clara new they had done, or were about to do something. She began to petal faster, hoping to escape what ever plan they had._

_The five family members biked in silence and peace, until they had traveled around the block and returned to their house._

_Clara slowly began to push on the brakes. She didnt slowdown the least bit._

_She for able pressed the leaver as hard as she could, only it still wasn't working. She looked at her handlebar to see the brakes had been cut. Panicked filled Clara. She was going so fast, how was she going to slowdown._

_Clara looked over her shoulder to see Sec and Caan with victorious smirks on their faces. When it was time to stop their bikes, Clara kept rolling. She took a sharp turn onto the grass, hoping to would slow the bike down._

_She had under estimated how sharp of a turn she had made. Clara flew off her bike and fell strait on the curb. Luckily she had placed her arms in front of herself, so she had only gotten a few scraps and cuts on her hands a knees._

_Clara stayed on the ground a minute, not sure if the fact that she was mostly fine would anger, or relieve her cousins._

_That's when she heard Sec's unbelievably high pitched voice._

_"That's for making a fool of our family, Oswin" he hissed as he hurried back to their house._

_She refused to show any sighs of pain or sadness until all of the Daleks had left._

_She lifted her hand and blow on it. The cuts stung but weren't an unbearable pain. Suddenly something had stung her heart, and an unbearable pain filled it. When she was little, her mother would always kiss her cut and scrapes._

_But not anymore, she couldn't._

_Tears pooled in her eyes and a sob escaped her lips. Clara would never see her mother again, she would never hold her, her mother would never see her get married or have kids, Ellie Oswald would never see her daughter turn 16, it was only in a few months anyway._

_Tears streamed down her face and Clara suddenly found it hard to breath. It felt as if a weight was on her chest, the same one that was there when her father had yelled at her for hacking the local police database. In a fit of rage she had asked for her mother. But she never came._

_"Are you alright?" A kind voice asked. Clara looked up to see a strange boy around her age, if not a little older. He had soft emerald green eyes that hide a pinch of darkness, soft brown hair that was shaped like a wave, an incredible large chin, not to mention his ears. The oddest thing was his clothes. He wore a light brown tweed jacket, and a bow tie. At first she wasn't sure if he was just odd or going out to a costume party._

_"I'm alright," she replied, quickly wiping the tears away. Clara looked away from the boy in hopes that he had not seen she had been crying._

_"You know, when I say that, it normally means 'really not alright'" he said sympathetically._

_Clara said nothing._

_"Was it the Daleks?" He asked sneering their name. She understood why he would hate them. Hell, they were her own cousins, and she hated them._

_"Their just being jerks" she answered, standing onto her feet. The boy looked like he could kill them when he saw the bleeding cuts on her legs._

_"What happened?" He asked with no emotions in his voice. Honestly it scared her a bit how the boy could go from kind to cold so fast._

_"Just a biken' accident that's all," she said trying to calm him. Clara could almost see smoke coming out of his ears, she knew if he knew what really happened he would lose it. He seemed to calm down a bit after hearing that._

_"I'm John, John Smith" he greated. Once again he had changed demeanors. He had returned to the kind boy he had first been._

_"Clara, Clara Oswin Oswald" she said proudly. Her mother had named her that, and she would be sure to use it for the rest of her life._

_The smile disappeared from his jolly face._

_"Are you their...cousin?" He asked, almost disgusted by it._

_"Ya," Clara said defensively, "got a problem about it?"._

_John stared at her confused. "how can someone so nice, be related to... Them?" He asked bewildered._

_Clara smiled, John had seemed nice enough, and he was funny too. "I don't know," she replied, "I guess I got lucky"_

_John smiled. "So, Oswin, I CAN clean those cuts for you, I got some supplies in my house-"_

_"Can't wait to get me alone can you," Clara joked. A blush appeared on Johns face._

_"No thanks, Chin Boy, and don't call me Oswin, no one does" she added with a smile. Clara was shocked, a minute ago she was crying but after talking to John she was fine. It was odd._

_"Alright, Clara Oswin Oswald-"_

_"Just Clara" a smile landed on the boys face._

_"Well, justClara, since you'll be staying in the neighborhood for a while, was wondering if you would like to do something, sometime?"_

_Clara was taken back. "Are you asking me on a date?" She asked both shocked and confused. Random guys don't just ask people out, at least not to Clara._

_"No!" He yelled a little bit too loud, "I meant as friends, we can have an adventure" he explained. A giggle escaped Clara's lips. It had been so long since someone had treated her like a normal human being and just wanted to hang, rather then see her as the poor broken girl who lost her mum._

_"Can't," she said sadly, "I'm heading back home in the morning," she explained._

_"Then meet me back here at midnight," he said with a smile. Excitement gleamed in his eyes. Clara hesitated. She would be running of into he night with a strange boy she had only met. It was hardly her MO._

_"I'll think about it" she vaguely replied before grabbing her bike and returning to her cousin's house. Although she had given him no real answer, she knew, in the back of her mind, she was going to join him._

"Just Clara, Chin Boy," she said as she moved next to him.

"Oi, what is wrong with my chin?" He asked with a pout on his face.

"Careful dear, you'll poke someone's eyes out," Clara flirted playfully. The Doctor frowned and looked back into the telescope.

"Where are we anyway?" She asked looking around. It was an incredibly astonishing place, the person that owned the place spend nearly a fortune to keep the yard as beautiful as it was. It felt like a whole new planet.

"This house is owned by Dorium Maldovar. He owns a pawn shop in London. Personally, between you and me, I think he works a little in the black market, that how he's so rich" The Doctor explained, "he is never here on week nights, so sometimes I come out her to clear my head. Look at the stars"

Clara watched The Doctor he looked so much more at ease in the yard then when they had first met outside his house. In the starlight, he looked younger, like a kid with so much hope and love. Sadly Clara knew, when morning came, the blissful peace that he felt would disappear. But would once again return by nightfall. The young man smiled at her.

"Take a look at this," he said, excitement filled his voice. Clara looked through the telescope to see that he had focused in on one especially bright star. Upon closer examination Clara saw that it wasn't a star but a planet.

"That's Venus," he explained, "only planet to be named after a woman."

"Good for her" Clara mumble to herself. She continued to stare at it until her eyes began to hurt.

"It's..." She started but the Doctor interrupted.

"Oo! Its so completely is. But wait there's more!" He said squealing like a young child.

"More what?" Clara asked amazed. What else could be as beautiful as the stars.

"Wait, wait, wait. In about five... Four... Three... Two..." As The Doctor counted down Clara looked trough the telescope once again. Just as he reached one, she saw a silver streak in the sky, then another.

Clara watched in amazement as what looked like hundreds of stars started to fall from the sky. She felt her mouth fall open in shock from its beauty.

"It's a meteor shower, it's too far to see down here on earth, but with a telescope, it's the most beautiful thing in the world." Clara didn't see but the Doctor was starting directly at her when he said the last part.

"It is," she agreed. Clara looked up at the Doctor, his brilliant green eyes shined in the moon light. The two teens eyes locked under that starry night. The Doctor had a soft smile on his face.

"I'm glad you decided to join me," he said out of nowhere. As soon as the words left his lips he mentally slapped himself. Why did I say THAT? She probably is freaked out now!

"So am I," She replied with wide smile. Clara felt herself lean a bit closer to The Doctor, but was interrupted by the sound of a phone ringing.

The boy fumbled in his large pocket for his cellphone. Honestly, sometimes it's like their bigger on the inside. He thought to himself as he found the phone.

"Pond," he greeted cheerfully. Clara listened to the Doctor speak to his friend, only she wished she didn't.

* * *

"It's Williams," Rory groaned over the phone. A smile crossed the Doctor lips.

"It will be once you and Amy get married," The Doctor said, only half joking.

When Amy had moved into the neighborhood, the Doctor and Rory, who was visiting, were the first to greet her. After listening to her complaining about how 'rubbish' the town was, The Doctor had invited her to play with them.

By then end of the day, Rory Williams was smitten by the glorious Pond. It was only after she left to return to her aunt that Rory had promised his friend, 'that one day he would marry her'. Over the past nine years, that plan had never changed.

"How was the play?" The doctor asked, trying to diverse him from the question he had called to ask.

"Greet, but that's not why I called." A groan escaped the Doctor lips.

"Amy says you're on a date with Oswin," he said, waiting for the Doctor to confirm the claim.

"It's not a date," The Doctor exclaimed, louder then he meant to. He had his back turned to Clara, so he didn't see the look of pain in her face.

"I would never cheat on River," he added, for good measure.

* * *

As the words left his mouth, Clara felt like she had been stabbed in her chest. He was dating someone. She felt like an idiot.

The only reason he had invited me was 'cause he pitied me. She though.

"Rory, can we talk about this later," The Doctor said to his phone.

He paused.

"Yes, she is here with me. Alright, will talk about this when you get back. Bye" The Doctor hung up his phone.

"Sorry 'bout that, just some friends" he explained. That's when he saw the look of pain in her eyes.

"Are you alright?" He asked. Clara nodded, trying to keep calm.

"It's late, and I just remembered I forgot to pack," she lied. Clara had had sure to pack early so that she could spend more time with The Doctor. But, that was the last thing she wanted to do at that moment.

"Alright, I'll walk you home," the Doctor offered, seeing her discomfort.

Clara shock her head. "No it's fine," she insisted, "you keep an eyes of for more meteor showers."

Before the Doctor could say about her word, Clara had already dashed out of the yard. She ran as fast as her short legs could take her. Clara felt her eyes sting but refused to let the tears fall. She had done enough crying in a life time. When she had reached the Dalek residence, she made no attempt to her sneaky and ran in through the front door. She hurried to her temporary room and flopped on her bed. All she wanted to do was to stay there for the rest of her life.

Clara was, absolutely, completely, utterly heartbroken.

* * *

For some unknown reason, that Doctor felt guilt. A part of him had felt like he had made Clara so upset, but he wasn't sure how. Things were great, at first, then somehow it spiraled down hill so fast, no one could stop it.

After he had locked up Dorium's, The Doctor walked back to his house in silence. There was no need to be sneaky as he walked into his home. It wasn't like his family was there anyway. The Doctor's parents were workaholics. At time they would invest so much of their time into their work that that Doctor wouldn't see them for days. Both of them were scientists, and made enough money to give their son anything he wanted, and they would too, if he asked. The Doctor never wanted any of their money, he was happy having only a few things to call his. It was a simple and lonely life, but it was his life, and The Doctor wouldn't want it any other way.

As he laid in his bed, trying to get some sleep, he thought back to Clara, seeing the hurt looked in her eyes.

He had liked Clara, it pained him to see her so hurt. The Doctor knew that even Rory and Amy would have loved Clara. He had just wished that they had met sooner.

After what felt like hours, the young man drifted off into a deep sleep.

When he awoke in the morning, something felt wrong. The Doctor felt jumpy (more then usual), and like every atom in his body were telling him to run, that there was danger nearby.

At that moment, his phone vibrated. A smile crossed his lips when he saw it was a text message from River. He once again felt the fear that something workable had happened when he read the message.

'_We need to talk - RS'_

**AN2- I think we know what's gonna happen next. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter.**

**Back stories will be explained later.**

**Next time- River will reveal shocking news. Clara say goodbye. And the Doctor loses everything.**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: this chapter is angst-y.**

**Sorry.**

**And sorry for the long wait, I had a lot of trouble writing his chapter and I was afraid I got the Doctor and River OCC (if I did please tell me so I could fix it. And don't just tell me, give me explains and explain what they should say or how they would act)**

**Enjoy**

* * *

'_We need to talk -RS'_

The Doctor ran as fast as he could across the street. To the old house where Amy and River lived along with their parents. It was an old yellow house with plants and vines climbing up the walls.

River Song sat, alone on the front porch. Her gray eyes were puffy and filled with tears. River's tan completion was unusually pale and her normally bushy and life filled hair was flat on her face. The Doctor ran to his girlfriend when he saw her crying. There was nothing he wanted to do more than make the person that hurt River feel the same sadness that was in her eyes.

"River, what's wrong," he asked kneeling before her and taking her hands for comfort. River slowly wiped the tears from her face with her shaking hand.

"John, it's Amy and Rory," she explained. Suddenly, the Doctor knew what ever had happened, it was completely horrible. River, along with everyone else, never call him by his real name. Unless something bad had happened.

"River, what happened?" Although he was afraid to ask, he feared not knowing more. River reminded silent.

"What happened?" A million different scenarios popped in his mind. Could they have been hurt, could they have gone missing, robbed, or maybe attacked? There was one thing that was too horrible to imagine. Something that would physically kill him if it happened, and of course, it happened.

"T-They... They were attacked," she took a deep breath, "and when they tried to attack Amy..." The Doctor turned as pale as a ghost. "Rory... h-he... he tried to stop them," tears began to stream down her face. Is he was clearly trying to stop crying, but River body betrayed her, and a never ending flow of water traveled down her face.

"Their d-dead, John," she finally shuddered out.

Nothing felt real after that.

* * *

Clara Oswald had made a dumb mistake sleeping in. By the time she awoke, Clara had found a mustache drawn above her lip, in what looked like a permanent marker, and that she was locked in her room.

Clara looked at her digital clock with read, 12:04. Her father would be there to pick her up in an hour, more or less. After washing the black ink off her face and decided to get some fresh air.

Over her bed was a small window, that was just big enough so that she could stick her head out of it. Clara opened the small window and stuck her head out.

She enjoyed feeling the soft gentle breeze push back her hair and cool her warm skin. For a moment, there was a secant of pure peace, a serenity that she hadn't felt since her mother died.

For one in her life, Clara felt like she belonged. Not in the Dalek house, but being next to the Doctor. She shock those thoughts out of her head.

Johns got a girlfriend. He doesn't care about you.

Reality hit her hard, and a the small feeling of joy fled from her body. She only felt worse as she heard the sound of glass shattering.

Clara jumped a bit as she heard someone yell, "_JOHN_," as loud as their voice would allow them. A pit of fear grew I'm Clara's stomach. Was the Doctor in trouble?

Her fears were confirmed when she saw the floppy haired teen storm off from a small yellow house. He stomped across the street, with his curled up into fists go tight that his knuckles were as white as snow. The Doctor's right hand was a sickening crimson red and some of that color dripped off his hand and onto the road as he walked over it. The Doctor's face was a bright pink and water trailed down his eyes.

"Doctor," Clara called from her window, not sure what else to do. He didn't even look at her. The Doctor ran into his large, empty house. A deafening silence filled the street. Normally, at that time of the day, she would hear that sound of children playing or their screams of joy. But that day, no one made a sound. The street felt dark and empty. Like they were morning. Everyone was morning.

Clara wanted to run up to the Doctor and give him a hug. She wasn't sure why he was so sad, or why the thought of him being miserable made he feel so terrible, but she want to tell him that everything was going to be fine. But she couldn't, not if she was locked in her room.

An idea popped into her mind. A crazy, brilliant, utterly insane idea. Under her window was a door canopy. A thick, sturdy one that could easily hold her weight. If she managed to land on top of the canopy then it was only a short jump to the ground.

Clara examined that window. She was perfectly skinny enough to clime through it. Without another thought, Clara stuck her legs out of the window first. She wiggled around and turned so that her butt as fully outside. It was only then she realized that she had not thought the plan fully through. Clara had underestimated the weight she would be putting her stomach as it laid on the window ledge. She slowly started to slide outside.

Clara began to panic when she didn't felt the solid roof is the door canopy. Her body was now fully hanging out of the window. She wasn't sure how much farther down the canopy was.

Clara refused to look down. She had always had a fear of heights, not it wasn't a fear of heights, it was a fear of falling.

When Clara was a young girl, she would have dreams that she could walk of clouds, it was an amazing feeling, feeling taller them the world. But the dreams always ended the same way. In the end Clara's curiosity would have gotten the best of her. She would look over the edge of the cloud, then she would slip and fall.

Flashes of her dreams returned to her and Clara started to panic more. Her breath sharpened and her palms started to sweat. She tried to ignore the images, but that only made then more noticeable. Rather then trying to forget them, Clara decided to change the dreams.

She imaged the Doctor watching her fall. He wore his ridiculous bow tie and had a green torch in his hand. The look of fear in his face gave her strength. She had to get to the Doctor, she had to help him.

Clara let go of the window. She landed abruptly onto the top of the door canopy. A victorious smile crossed her face. She had faced her fear, all because the Doctor needed her help.

Clara closed her eyes and jumped onto the bright green grass. She landed softly on her two legs. Her smile grew larger.

Clara ran next door. She ran as fast as she could. She ran for her Chin Boy.

* * *

The Doctor ran to his house. As soon as the front door shut behind hind him, he broke out into a fit of rage. He ran into the living room and threw his arms under the couch. The Doctor used all of his strength to flip the sofa to the ground. One of the arms of the couch hit into a small coffee table with a glass countertop. The glass shattered and flew all around the room.

The Doctor threw the next thing he saw against the wall, with to his surprise was a large fragile lamp. The clay starts joined the glass on the ground.

The Doctor didn't know what he was doing, all he saw was red. Memories of his and Rivers conversation flashed in his mind.

_"What," The Doctor asked, completely shocked by what River said, "River, I spoke with them just yesterday." He explained. No there had to be a mistake. Rory and Amy couldn't be dead, they just couldn't._

_"Their bodies were found three hours ago," she sobbed into her arm. River didn't want the Doctor to see her cry._

_"How?" The Doctor whispered so low it was barely audible. River remained silent. "HOW?" He yelled cruelly. His tone was so dangerous that it sent shivers down her spine. "Rory was, umm, h-hit over the head with a... pipe" she whispered back._

_"And Amy?" He asked, a little calmer. River began to cry harder. She berried her face into her arms to muffle the inhuman sound that shot out of her throat._

_The Doctor waited. He waited for her to answer. River lifted her face to face his. She gasped for air._

_"She was stabbed," she cried._

_That's when he lost it. Letting the blind rage take over, he stood from his spot next to River and slammed his fist onto one of the house windows._

_Blood poured from his hand as a loud 'crack' echoed in the silence. The window had a few cracks in it but didn't break. Without a work he stormed off. No, stormed off wasn't the right word, he ran. Ran far away from River, and Amy's house, and the truth. The longer he spent with River the more suffocated he felt. The world started to feel as if it was caving on his lungs._

_Normally, when that happened, when the Doctor felt alone and crushed, Amy and Rory would take some of that weight off. They would hold his hand and help him make it through everything the world had thrown at him. But that time the world had hit him too hard._

_Amy and Rory could no longer be his rock._

_The Doctor had not notice the tears streaming down his face. He heard River call his name, his REAL name. He ignored her._

_Then he heard the sweet sound of Clara's voice. It was harder to ignore her, but he did. He ran home to hide from the truth._

The Doctor took several deep breaths before he was fully able to see. The rage had left his body and all that remained was sadness. He wasn't sure exactly what to do next, normally he would have called Amy and she would say something like, "I'll be over soon," or, "stay calm, I'm coming over." She couldn't now.

The Doctor heard the front door open and shut. He listened to the sound of footsteps approach him.

"I'm sorry 'bout the window, River," he said, assuming it was his girlfriend, "I'll pay for it."

Silence.

"Is that what happened to your hand?"

* * *

Clara was shocked by the absolute mess he had made. Furniture we tossed around the room like they were rags, glass covered the floor (which made her glad that she head remember to put on shoes), and in the center of the room was The Doctor. He was staring at the ground and had his back turned to her.

"I'm sorry for the window, River," he said with an empty voice, "I'll pay for it."

Clara didnt know what to say. He thought that she was his girlfriend. Had something happened between them? Had they broke up?

No, it was something else, something much darker if it would have caused the Doctor to make such a mess.

"Is that what happened to your hand?" She asked. He spun around the moment her heard her voice.

The Doctor was as pale as a ghost. His eyes looked haunted and heavy. Clara would have given anything at that moment to see him happy and smiling, like how he was under the stars only a few hours ago.

That's when Clara realized what had happened.

"Clara, what are you doing here?" He asked as he tried to whip some tears away.

"Do you still have though bandages?" She asked, not taking her eye off his hand.

"Yes, but-" he started it clara cut him off.

"Where?" She asked. The Doctor looked a bit mad but answered her anyway.

"In the kitchen, top drawer on the left," he answered, "but what-" again Clara cut him off.

"I'll be right back." Clara ran into the kitchen and grabbed the bandages. When she returned, Clara carefully started to dress how wound.

"I babysit these two kids in my neighborhood," she explained, "Angie and Artie, those are their names. Artie it always going off and doing dumb boy things that end with him getting hurt. So I know enough about wounds to know bandages are important, especially when you bleeding this much" Clara looked up at the Doctor and grinned for a secant, "done" she said as she finished.

The Doctor was speechless, and Clara knew why.

"Why are you here?" He asked again.

"I saw you walking int your house and... You looked upset" she explained.

"We'll I'm fine," the Doctor spat, "you can go now,"

"I'm sorry," Clara whispered.

"For what?"

"For who ever you lost," she said with compassion. The Doctor was once again speechless.

"What," he whispered breathless.

"My mum die, not to long ago," Clara explained, "she was in a car crash... I was in the car with her..." Tears pooled in her eyes. A bitter laugh escaped her lips, "I was supposed to die with her, and when I found out what happened" she looked around the room, avoiding eyes contact with the Doctor.

"I did the same," she explained. "I completely trashed my room, even put a few holes in my wall." she paused and wiped the tears from her eyes, "so I'm sorry, for who ever you lost, I would say, 'time heals all wounds,' but that's bullock"

"When someone dies they take a peace of you with them, and nothing can heal that pain. But you get stronger and you learn to live with the pain." A small smile crossed her lips, it wasn't biter or empty, it was a real smile. "But one day you learn how to smile again, and you learn how to be happy again."

"My mum used to say that life is like running, everyone wants it to be a strait easy path, but it's not. There's twist and turns and obstacles. And when life knocks you down, you have to get back up and start running again."

"So, basically, run. Run you clever boy, and remember."

Silence filled the room. Clara hope that some of her words had stuck with him, and was hurt by what he said next.

"Get out," he said darkly, "leave."

For once in Clara's life, she did what she was told. Clara left without a word, and silently hoped, that the Doctor would make it through.

* * *

**Three Weeks Later**

It had been three weeks, three weeks since Rory and Amy had... passed. Three weeks since Clara Oswin Oswald had left him behind as she traveled back home with her father. Three weeks since The Doctor had last seen River.

And only 4 days since Amy and Rory's funeral. They were buried next to each other somewhere in New York. The Doctor wasn't sure where though. He had refused to attended.

If the Doctor had agreed to go then it would be true. Amy and Rory would be gone... Forever.

He would never hear the melodic sound of Amy's laugher. Or her thick Scottish accent call him 'raggedy man'. She would never again go on adventures with him in his bright blue car she had named the TARDIS.

The Doctor would never see Rory again. His best mate and oldest friend. Never again would Rory be by his side to provide a sense of sensibility that both Amy and himself seemed to lack. Rory had died never fulfilling a promise to the Doctor he had made when he was seven. Rory Williams died never marring Amelia Pond. The girl of his dreams. They were the definition of 'soul mates'.

No, the Doctor would never get to see their weeding. He would never get to be (as Amy joked) both the best man and maid of honor. He would never get the chance to dance like an idiot at their reception. But worst of all, the Doctor knew that their wedding would never come. They would be locked in a box under six feet of dirt and rock.

The Ponds were gone, and the world felt a little bit darker.

The Doctor was pulled from his thoughts when he heard a knock on the front door. He forced himself to his feet. The Doctor knew that he looked like rubbish. Over the corse of the three weeks he had barely left his living room. He spent the time watching the telly and clean the shattered glass off the floor.

The Doctor dragged his feet with every step until, he opened the door.

There stood River. Her light hair was pulled into a bun and she wore a long black dress. To any normal person, she looked fine, but the Doctor had dated her long enough to see her slightly red eyes and could physically feel how drained she was. In River's hands was an old cardboard box that was covered in dust.

"Hello, Sweetie" she said managing to find the strength to smile.

"River?" The Doctor said slightly shocked. He had not seen her for three weeks, why would she be turning up now?

"We were cleaning out the attic," she said, looking down at the box, "and we found this." Without another word she placed the box in his hands and walked passed him inside is house.

River took a seat on the living room couch in silence. She looked like she was about to say something, but couldn't find the words.

"What's in here?" He asked as he took a seat next to her.

"Old tapes" she replied, "of you, Amy, and Rory." His eyes widened. The Doctor stared at the box and held it a little tighter. A little closer to his heart.

"Don't you want them?" The Doctor asked a bit scared she would say yes. Amy and Rory had meant so much to him, but he had little to show that they actually existed. A part of him would feel bad taking away those memories from River and her family, after all she lost Amy and Rory too, but the other part of him didn't care.

"They were your best friends," she replied, "Amy would have wanted you to have them." River sniffed uncomfortably in her seat.

"What is it?" The Doctor asked.

She opened her mouth them quickly closed it. That only scared the Doctor more. Tears pooled in her eyes and River couldn't stare him in the eyes. He knew, something horrible wrong was happening.

"My father," she stared, taking a deep breath to calm down, "a few months ago, he was offered a job... in America." She took another deep breath. "Originally, he didn't want to force Amy and I to leave, but after everything that's happened..." Her voice trailed off. The Doctor knew what she was going to say, but he didn't want to hear it.

"H-He took the job" she stuttered, "he says we need a fresh start."

The Doctor knew he should feel sadness or even anger, but after everything that has happened, he wasn't sure exactly what to do.

"You're leaving?" He asked in a cold emotionless voice. The fact that he was so calm scared River more then his anger.

"River, I've lost so much," he said as tears started to pool in his eyes, "please, I can't lose you too." Desperation filled his voice. Why was he always alone in the end? Why did everyone have to leave? Was he really that horrible?

"It's not my chose anymore, sweetie" she explained depressed.

An uncomfortable silence filled the room, and couple stared at each other with grief in their eyes. They had both lost more then anyone should at their young age, and now they were about to lose each other. They remained together in the hushed environment until River spoke again, after what felt like hours.

"John," she paused, "I want a new start." The Doctor stared at her with a blank face. "I don't want to wake up everyday with reminders of Amy next to me. I don't want everyone to tell me their sorry, when they don't care, because no one at our school even knew their names until they died. The only person that noticed us was Kovarian, and she hated us" River ranted.

The mention of Kovarian made the Doctor smile. Her name brought back old memories that had once seemed bad, but now were distant and harmless. "Do you remember when Kovarian had Amy kidnapped, 'cause she was scared that she was gonna win prom queen?" The Doctor asked as an amused smile crossed his face.

River returned the small smile and a chuckle escaped her lips. "I remember how mad you were when you found out. And how shock she was when Jack Harkness and his boyfriend Ianto Jones won"

It felt good for the Doctor and River to share a laugh, it had been so long since he heard her laugh.

"I remember how beautiful you looked," the Doctor added with a small sad smile. River stared down at the ground guilt filling her, and the Doctor knew why.

"John-" River started but was interrupted.

"You want to break up," he whispered staring at the ground as well.

"I want a fresh start." She corrected.

"And I want that for you," he said raising his voice, "but you can't do that, not as long as we are dating."

Silence once again filled the room. Both of them knew, from the start of their relationship, they had a limited amount of time, and now time was up. But the Doctor didn't want it to end in sadness.

"One last date," he said taking her hand, "one last spectacular date, what do ya say?" He asked, starting to sound a bit like his old self. That happy-go-lucky fool that she had loved.

"Wherever and whenever you want," she said with a smile. A genuine smile.

"How about that restaurant you always wanted to go to, the karaoke one," The Doctor pause trying to recall its name.

"Darillium?" River asked hopeful. He smiled and took her hand.

"Geronimo," he answered. The couple walked hand in hand to the restaurant. And they didn't once think about their grief or pain, that night. That night, they forgot the world and enjoyed themselves. They listened to music, they ate good food, and at the end of the night, they said their goodbyes and the Doctor cried for is lost lover. That night was the last time they ever saw each other, and the night the Doctor end up, truly alone.

But one thing always warmed the Doctor in his darkest moment. That that date was worth the pain, and it was worth the heartbreak to see River smile, one last time.

* * *

**AN2: sorry it was a bit of a River/Eleven chapter. But I truly believe that the Doctor loves River and he could never simple leave her behind without a goodbye. (I don't ship Doctor/River, but I respect it) **

**Hoped you enjoyed the chapter and heads up. I'm looking for a BETA. So if you wanna be my Beta message me or something.**

**Next time: Clara returns with shocking news, and the Doctor is depressed (Like in The Snowmen).**


End file.
